Once again a small but intrepid band of Empire of the Sun
aficionados went to the Pacific and engaged in some friendly
combat thanks to the support of fellow members who keep voting
the game back into the mix. The tournament used the well tested
1943 yearly scenario in the preliminary rounds and finished with
a Campaign scenario for the Final.

The opening rounds found our intrepid band of eight dueling
across the Pacific. The 1943 tournament scenario opens at the
close of the Guadalcanal campaign and the Allies prepared to
initiate Operation Toenails (New Georgia). On New Guinea Allied
forces are concentrated for an advance on Lae. Over in the China-Burma-India
(CBI) Theater the Allies are poised to launch their Arakan offensive.

The Japanese have to balance defending Rabaul and their inner
defense perimeter while marshalling their forces for a potential
offsensive in China or against Northern India. At the start of
the scenario the Japanese hold Attu, which if not re-taken by
the Allies in the first turn yields victory points. The Japanese
fleet is damaged but still quite powerful and the Japanese air
arm still have significant capabilities. All in all a very even
fight.

Over the course of the first two rounds the outcomes reflected
a 50-50 outcome with neither side gaining an edge.

Retaining his crown was Dennis Culhane who prevailed in the
Final with the Allies in a very rare early game victory when
he took Truk in 1942 from a surprised Japanese opponent. One
of the interesting things that has emerged from several years
of WBC and Internet play is a viable Plan Orange Allied response
to the initial Japanese onslaught. The Japanese player can usually
deal with this early US attack, but it requires careful placement
of forces to avoid vulnerable points. The two major Allied objectives
are usually Truk or a major reinforcement of the Philippines.
Reinforcing Truk and a game Turn 2 capture of the Philippines
neutralizes this option. Where the Japanese have taken risks
are usually associated with deferring the capture of the Philippines
in lieu of an earlier attack into the CBI.

WBC veterans have learned that Dennis is the master of the
early Plan Orange and this year was no different. The Japanese
player seeing his Central Pacific smashed with the loss of the
South Seas HQ honorably resigned.

We will follow the same format for next year and we are re-organizing
the tournament into the beginners format, so we will be teaching
all comers in 2010. See you there.